GCB Good Christian Belles

[MandyLaLa]

It premiered on ABC last night, did anyone happen to watch it?

[Guest Anonymous]

No, and I don't want to. Just the promo alone offended me. It sounds like typical Southern stereotyping with fake accents. :snooty:

[Lainey]

I thought it was "Good Christian Bitches," not Belles. Was I mistaken? i heard that somewhere. I saw it. It was hilarious. :lol:

[StarrieEyedKat]

It was supposed to be Bitches but was changed to the more politically correct "Belles"

[Deleted02]

Is the book pretty good? I saw at Barnes and Noble and was wondering if it was worth a read.

[MandyLaLa]

I really liked it, but I love trashy tv :lol: it reminded me a bit of Desperate Housewives.

[lilwriter85]

I watched it and it definetely has a Desperate Housewives vibe. It will probably be a guilty pleasure of mine. I'm interested in reading the book. The show sort of reminds me of Drop Dead Gorgeous.

[GolightlyGrrl]

I watched this last night, and I thought it was good, trashy fun. It might end up being my go-to guilty pleasure TV.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

I watched it because I needed to decompress my pulverized brain after Ph.D. exams and a funeral...I thought it was pretty terrible, but kind of entertaining nonetheless - sort of like Jersey Shore, haha. Definitely LOTS of stereotypes.

We're also supposed to be cheering for the reformed "mean girl", which I don't particularly enjoy. Like, "Look, she was skinny and blonde and beautiful in high school, but was also kind of a bitch, but now that she's nice she totally deserves to have everyone throwing themselves all over her..." I don't know how to explain why this rubs me the wrong way....anyone? I thought this was sort of bolstered by the fact that all the women are supposed to have gone to HS together, but the protagonist looks about 10 years younger than them.

Also, I really dislike the "queen bitch", played by Kristin Chenoweth. She totally overacts every single role, but this one really takes the cake. I'd probably find it more entertaining if it weren't for her. She also bugged the hell out of me when she was on "Glee" and on "Pushing Daisies".

I did appreciate that there was a gay character who was presented in a fairly positive way - though I mean positive by the standards of trash tv, of course.

[lovefromgirl]

It was supposed to be Bitches but was changed to the more politically correct "Belles"

Something the commercials never fail to play with. :)

[GolightlyGrrl]

I'm going to keep watching this show because it will piss off people like Patrice Lewis from Rural Revolution.

http://www.rural-revolution.com/2012/03 ... erica.html

[lilwriter85]

I'm going to keep watching this show because it will piss off people like Patrice Lewis from Rural Revolution.

http://www.rural-revolution.com/2012/03 ... erica.html

Love you Grrl for putting up that link. I laughed reading the blog entry and the comments. These people don't realize that the book and the show aren't mocking Christians as a whole. I also laugh at the fact that the people that are upset about the show, aren't angry with Kim Gaitlin for writing the book. The show wouldn't exist if it wasn't the book and Gaitlin was the one signed away the adaptation rights.

I'm going to keep watching the show and I love that pisses off some people. GCB sort of reminds me of some of the characters in Drop Dead Gorgeous.

[kb2]

No, and I don't want to. Just the promo alone offended me. It sounds like typical Southern stereotyping with fake accents. :snooty:

It really only made fun of Texas, which deserves it.

I found it interesting how

in the book, the main character's backstory is that her husband was cheating, but in the show, her husband dies while in a car with his mistress after they'd stolen some money, and then she loses all her money when his finances are investigated. It makes her story seem less bad to gossip about--wouldn't everyone be talking about a post-robbery sex-car-accident?

[GolightlyGrrl]

Love you Grrl for putting up that link. I laughed reading the blog entry and the comments. These people don't realize that the book and the show aren't mocking Christians as a whole. I also laugh at the fact that the people that are upset about the show, aren't angry with Kim Gaitlin for writing the book. The show wouldn't exist if it wasn't the book and Gaitlin was the one signed away the adaptation rights.

I'm going to keep watching the show and I love that pisses off some people. GCB sort of reminds me of some of the characters in Drop Dead Gorgeous.

I loved "Drop Dead Gorgeous."

I bet there are a lot of Christian women who watched "GCB" and said to themselves, "Oh, yea, I know people like that."

And as someone who skews more the left, calls herself a feminist, does crafts, likes locally-grown produce, coffee shops and film festivals, takes public transportation and eats at restaurants featuring locally-grown food, I could easily get upset over "Portlandia." But I don't. Why? Because unlike Patrice and her leg humpers, I have a sense of humor.

[MamaJunebug]

In a hurry so topic tl:dr (not really but y'know) - I heard a bit of Kristen Chenoweth on GCB via NPR and it sounded hilariously satirical. I mean to watch it but have the attention span of a flea and proably will forget to program it into DVR by the time I walk into the living room ... what were we talking about? Amen.

[holierthanyou]

No, and I don't want to. Just the promo alone offended me. It sounds like typical Southern stereotyping with fake accents. :snooty:

So sexism in your own church is fine, gender stereotyped roles for girls and women in your patriarchy church are fine, but...

an unrealistic tv show offends your sense of equity?

[MandyLaLa]

No, and I don't want to. Just the promo alone offended me. It sounds like typical Southern stereotyping with fake accents. :snooty:

I disagree, I think the show portrays more of the catty side and drama with women that you find all over the country. They just happen to be from the south, so yes they have southern accents. But you could take the show concept and put it in any part of the country and to concept would work.

I also think before you judge a show, it helps to watch it first. Otherwise you're just spouting off nonsense about something you don't know anything about.

[lilwriter85]

I loved "Drop Dead Gorgeous."

I bet there are a lot of Christian women who watched "GCB" and said to themselves, "Oh, yea, I know people like that."

And as someone who skews more the left, calls herself a feminist, does crafts, likes locally-grown produce, coffee shops and film festivals, takes public transportation and eats at restaurants featuring locally-grown food, I could easily get upset over "Portlandia." But I don't. Why? Because unlike Patrice and her leg humpers, I have a sense of humor.

Yup that probably does happen.

[Stickers]

I love this show so far, it's kinda like Mean Girls.

[kb2]

I disagree, I think the show portrays more of the catty side and drama with women that you find all over the country. They just happen to be from the south, so yes they have southern accents. But you could take the show concept and put it in any part of the country and to concept would work.

I also think before you judge a show, it helps to watch it first. Otherwise you're just spouting off nonsense about something you don't know anything about.

OK, I have to defend geniebelle's complaint about accents. I also live in the South, and I have not ever, ever, ever met anyone ever who talks with a southern accent as depicted by fictional TV shows or movies, ever. I'm also not sure why all women in the South are supposed to be so breathy--I think that's the worst part of it. Even though people from Texas sometimes really do have accents, GCB characters sound like the southern accent I'm not sure exists* where every "a" sound is "ahhhhh." "Mahmahhhh, Whaaaahhh awrrrre way gah-in tah chahhhrch?" I seriously doubt anyone talks like that in real life, but if they do, they're in some small pocket in Georgia, not Dallas.

TL;DR: Southerners do not happen to talk like that.

*Thah sahhthahrn ahhccahnt Ah'm naht rahhlay shah exahsts.

[ADoyle90815]

I saw that show as well, and it could become a guilty pleasure show for me. Besides, if watching it pisses off the religious nuts, then it's more of a reason to do so.

[MandyLaLa]

I guess I view the southern accent as no different than say an overly exaggerated Boston accent. Is it the norm in the south or Boston, no. But I don't see the big deal since it's a tv show that is exaggerated to the extreme in every aspect.

[Lady]

I loved "Drop Dead Gorgeous."

I bet there are a lot of Christian women who watched "GCB" and said to themselves, "Oh, yea, I know people like that."

And as someone who skews more the left, calls herself a feminist, does crafts, likes locally-grown produce, coffee shops and film festivals, takes public transportation and eats at restaurants featuring locally-grown food, I could easily get upset over "Portlandia." But I don't. Why? Because unlike Patrice and her leg humpers, I have a sense of humor.

Oh yes. I most certainly did. It was funny.

[kb2]

I guess I view the southern accent as no different than say an overly exaggerated Boston accent. Is it the norm in the south or Boston, no. But I don't see the big deal since it's a tv show that is exaggerated to the extreme in every aspect.

It's not a big deal because, as I said before, Texas deserves it. :angelic-halo:

But even the most serious shows set in the South make everyone sound like Gone With The Wind, so it can be a bit of a pet peeve.

ETA: I mean, it just is annoying when people think something entirely untrue about you is the case, even when it's about something stupid that doesn't matter like accents. I'm sure Boston people roll their eyes a lot when people visit and ask everyone, "Are you from Haaaahhhhvahhhrd?"

[reds]

I just watched the first episode... loved it.

Reminds me a bit about FJ. :lol: